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A 74-year-old woman was attacked while waiting for the bus in University City Thursday, according to Philadelphia police. The victim's family was outraged to learn the man behind the alleged attack, had just been released from prison for killing his mother in 2003. NBC10's Daralene Jones spoke exclusively with the victim's family. (Published Friday, Oct 18, 2013)

Updated at 12:23 PM PDT on Saturday, Oct 19, 2013

An elderly woman is recovering after being viciously attacked in broad daylight along a University City sidewalk by a man recently released from prison.

74-year-old Elizabeth Hardaway was talking with another woman as she waited for her bus to arrive at the corner of 39th and Market Streets just before 1 p.m. on Thursday when a man suddenly approached, according to Philadelphia Police.

Police say that man, identified as 43-year-old Alexander Brown, grabbed Hardaway by the hair, pulled her to the wall of a nearby building and violently banged her head into the brick twice for no apparent reason.

Brown then fled the scene, but was quickly apprehended a short time later by police.

Meanwhile, Hardaway was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital for treatment. She remains there bruised and with her leg in a brace.

"It's a guy who should never be on the streets of Philadelphia again and people should be outraged by his actions," Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker said.

However, the elderly mother's family is now questioning why Brown, who has a violent history, was able to make his way back onto the city's streets and hurt the woman.

Brown was recently released from prison on probation after serving 10 years for the 2003 murder of his mother. In that case, Brown admitted to suffocating the 76-year-old woman to death using several plastic bags. Her decomposing body was found some time later inside her home.